lodge

In recent months Ant & Dec have spoken more about their televisual adventures both in front of the cameras and behind them as I’m A Celebrity South Africa kicks off

Declan Donnelly, one half of the Ant & Dec presenting duo, has said they were stunned by an intruder at their lodge on I’m A Celebrity South Africa.

The pair are out in the region presenting the latest series of the ITV programme, which features 12 celebrities, including Gemma Collins, Sinitta, Seann Walsh and Sir Mo Farah, competing for victory.

Anthony McPartlin, 50, said to Declan on their podcast Hanging Out with Ant & Dec: “Didn’t you have a bush baby in your room?” The bush babies Anthony was asking about are a type of nocturnal primate.

In response, Declan, 50, said: “In my lodge was a thatched roof, and I came back from work and my fruit bowl — there was an orange on the side — and it had been half peeled, and there was wee on the worktop.

“Somebody came round — one of the guys who come to pick us up. I said, ‘Have you seen this? Looks like wee on the side and my fruit’s had a go at.’

“He went, ‘Oh, you’ve got bush babies. They live in the thatched roof and they come down and they come at your fruit, have a wee and then they go again.’”

This isn’t the only time Ant & Dec have spoken about their lives behind the television screens, with their podcast seeing the pair speak a little more about the famous people they’ve talked to and the hilarious incidents along the way.

Notably, the pair spoke earlier this year about what it was like when they met King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales in the early 2000s, and how Declan got distracted whilst meeting the then heir to the throne.

The interview, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Prince’s Trust — now the King’s Trust — with the future monarch took place at Highgrove House. Declan recalled how Charles said that he wanted to chat with Ant & Dec off camera before the interview began so they could get to know each other.

As a result, he invited them in for tea. However, Declan said he got a bit distracted by not knowing who was going to pour the tea.

He said: “So, we went in, sat in this room, and he came in and shook our hands and we sat down and they brought in this massive tray with a big teapot, teacups on it, biscuits and stuff, and we sat there and he’s talking to us.

“I’m sitting there going, ‘Who’s going to pour the tea? He’s not going to do it. Do we do it? Are we supposed to do this? Should one of us just dive in?’ I was really distracted.

“‘Has this been left for us to do because he’s not going to do it? So have we got to do this?’ I was really distracted through the whole thing. I kind of wasn’t listening to what he was saying because I was too worried.”

Declan’s comments came ahead of the pair’s travels to South Africa to film the I’m A Celebrity spin-off, which returns to screens at 9pm tonight on ITV.

KIP with the kids in a two-bedroom lodge at The Mole Resort or try the boujee airport hotel alternative of a grand Italianate mansion.

In search of the perfect pit stop, Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley found out all that both had to offer.

The Mole Resort

As I slam on the car brakes, my kids Poppy, seven, and Raffy, four, shout: “Woah!” In the middle of the road is a local walking her dog – which happens to be the size of a small pony.

Yep, it’s safe to say rural Devon is proving to be an eye-opener for us all.

We’re kipping at The Mole Resort, a country-house hotel that had a spruce-up a couple of years ago, set in 125 acres of rolling countryside.

Our two-bedroom, two-bathroom lodge in the grounds comes with floor-to-ceiling views of a verdant meadow and a hot tub, which proves particularly restorative after the long drive.

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Another huge win is the raft of activities on site – from pickleball to pétanque, disc golf to axe-throwing, and archery to pottery painting.

Talking of which, the kids adore painting egg cups, £14 each, and are thrilled to pick up their newly glazed souvenirs the next morning.

There’s also a restaurant, games room and health club with a pool – though this has seen better days.

The village it sits in, Chittlehamholt, is also home to excellent 16th-century pub The Exeter Inn.

Owners Hazel and Steve welcome visitors like family, as does their gorgeous cockapoo Frankie.

Flavour-packed dishes like Peking duck bon bons with hoisin, £9.50, and beef and ale pie topped with stilton, £17, are spot-on.

As are the proper puds – pick spiced sticky toffee, £8.50, for the win.

With more than 80 gins and local ales aplenty, you won’t go thirsty, either (Exeterinn.co.uk).

Just 20 minutes’ drive away is another absolute gem – Quince Honey Farm, which brings joy even on the drizzliest day.

Here, we roll our own beeswax candles, forage for wildflower seeds and taste five varieties of the golden stuff – the dandelion honey is crowned our fave.

Entry per adult and child over five costs £10.80 (Quincehoneyfarm. co.uk).

Leaving armed with brilliant bee facts, we all agree this pretty nook of Devon makes for a super stop-off en route to a beach break.

Stays in a two-bedroom lodge at The Mole Resort cost from £120 per night (Themoleresort.co.uk).

Down Hall Hotel

I’m not a huge fan of airport hotels, which is why the boujee alternative of a grand Italianate mansion in the Essex countryside instantly appeals.

Less than 20 minutes’ drive from London Stansted, its rural setting will help you to properly relax before take-off.

A giant chessboard, tennis courts and a mini football pitch in the expansive grounds keep the whole gang entertained.

Meanwhile, the newly opened Barn Spa offers mini-me treatments, including head and scalp massages, from £25 per child, and the recently refurbed family rooms come with a Nintendo Switch, so the kids are more than alright.

Tuck into dinner treats, such as crab with apple gel, cucumber and nasturtiums, £16.50, followed by venison loin with a dark-chocolate jus, £41, at The Garden Room, which holds two AA Rosettes.

And it would be rude not to try the moreish house cocktail – a Down Hall Bramble, made with the hotel’s own garden gin, £15.

When in Rome (or Essex) and all that. . .

Family rooms at Down Hall Hotel cost from £212 per night (Downhall.co.uk).